Director Sudhir Mishra has confirmed that there will be a sequel to his cult 2005 film Hazaaron Khwaishen Aisi soon. The filmmaker told The Indian Express that they are working on a script, the film will be produced again by Pritish Nandy.
“Sometimes some films become bigger than the actual idea, for example, Hazaaron (Khwaishen Aisi) has become bigger than me. So, I have to treat this with respect, and not do it just for reasons of commerce, or just because I want to do it. The script will decide who’s there and who’s not. We’ll take about six to eight months to do that,” he said.
The original film had Chitrangada Singh, Shiney Ahuja, and Kay Kay Menon in the lead. Set against the backdrop of the Emergency, the movie tells the story of three young people in the 1970s, when India was undergoing massive social and political changes. The title is taken from a poem by Urdu poet Mirza Ghalib.
Reminiscing about the film, Mishra insisted that the original made it big purely because it broke all the rules there is. “Everybody cast was new, except Kay Kay (Menon). We shot the whole film in 70 days, on the road, at a go,” he says. The new film will have a continuation from the first.
Malayalam actor Dileep, who is the 11th accused in the abduction and sexual assault case of a popular actress, might file a fresh bail plea. According to a Mathrubhumi report, the Aluva police will submit a chargesheet against the actor in the first week of October.
October 16 will mark Dileep’s 90 days in jail, with the police reportedly preventing the actor from getting bail. Mathrubhumi further reports that in his fresh bail, Dileep will most likely point out that the investigation is at the final stage and the police too have finished recording statements from everyone.
In the past, the Kerala High Court have rejected Dileep’s bail plea twice. Back in July, days after he was arrested, Dileep moved the high court for bail after the Angamaly magisterial court refused to grant him relief and sent him to judicial custody till July 25.
Meanwhile, Pulsar Suni — the main accused in the case — has alleged that director/actor Nadirshah paid him Rs 25,000 on the instruction of Dileep. A Manorama Online report says that Nadirshah paid him the amount at a movie location in Thodupuzha to carry out the abduction. The Special Investigation Team set up to probe this case have not interrogated Nadirshah yet.
Suni earlier alleged that the money was given to him by Nadirshah’s manager on the sets of Kattapanayile Hrithik Roshan, Shah’s own film. The police had already gathered evidence using mobile tower location documents to prove that Suni was in fact at Thodupuzha at the time.
On another note, with Dileep’s case building up by the day, several people who have supported him, have been facing flak for the same. Actor/director Sreenivasan recently had black oil smeared outside his house after he spoke in Dileep’s favour. Similarly, former MP Sebastian Paul, the editor of southlive.indrew flak after he wrote an article in the actor’s support.
Andy Muschietti’s It, based on author Stephen King’s horror novel, has amassed over Rs 11 crore in India.
Warner Bros Pictures released the film in India on Friday.
According to a statement shared by the film’s publicist, the registered business of the film is Rs 11.35 crore (gross) till Monday. The collection till Sunday was Rs.9.7 crore and it raked in Rs 1.65 crore on Monday.
Denzil Dias, Vice President and Managing Director, Warner Bros. Pictures India said: “We couldn’t be more thrilled with the results, and congratulate New Line Cinema, director Andy Muschietti and his phenomenal cast and crew on this fantastic opening.”
It tells the story of seven young outcasts growing up in the township of Derry, Maine, who call themselves the Losers’ Club. Each of them has been ostracised for one reason or another; each has a target on their back from the local pack of bullies and all have seen their inner fears come to life in the form of an ancient shapeshifting predator called ‘It’.
The film stars Bill Skarsgard as the story’s central villain Pennywise. An ensemble of young actors also star in the film, including Jaeden Lieberher, Jeremy Ray Taylor, Sophia Lillis, Finn Wolfhard, Wyatt Oleff, Chosen Jacobs and Jackson Robert Scott.
Actress Neena Gupta has been roped in for Anubhav Sinha’s Mulk, which also stars veteran actor Rishi Kapoor.
Neena will essay the role of Rishi Kapoor’s wife in the film and has begun her training for the role already. This is the first time she and Rishi will be teaming up, said a statement.
“I met Anubhav at a time when I was desperately seeking quality work. It was a really thoughtful gesture on his part to reach out to me at a time when I was undergoing this inner turmoil. Mulk is a phenomenal film and I’m quite excited to be a part of this experimental film,” Neena said.
In August, Neena took to social media to request work, posting a picture on Instagram with the caption: “I live in Mumbai and working, am a good actor looking for good parts to play.”
Sinha says he has always been a fan of Neena’s work.
“She fits the requirement of the role perfectly. After I saw her Instagram post, I didn’t hesitate at all to pick the phone and call her because there are some people in the industry who are timeless and she is one of them,” he said.
Sinha, who is both director and producer of Mulk added: “I couldn’t, for the longest time, find anyone who could match the description of the role, maybe she was destined to be a part of it. When I was dabbling in television in my earlier days I distinctly remember how she delivered some path-breaking performances in Saans and Buniyaad, a time when Indian television was actually progressive and intelligently entertaining. She is a forerunner of her times and her involvement will enhance the multi dimensional script even further.”
A social thriller based on true life events, Mulk will go on floors in October. It will also feature Taapsee Pannu, Prateik Babbar and Rajat Kapur. The film will be shot in Varanasi and Lucknow and is scheduled to release early next year. The film is produced by Benaras Media Works.
Screenplay writer-producer Mushtaq Shiekh will be the associate producer of Mulk. The plot of the film revolves around the story of a joint family who hails from a small town in India, who are out to reclaim their honour after being embroiled in a controversy.
Ishaan Khatter, who will be making his debut with Majid Majidi’s India-set film Beyond The Clouds, says the Iranian filmmaker is “extremely meticulous” when it comes to deciding the look of the characters.
Ishaan, brother of actor Shahid Kapoor, along with Malavika Mohanan features as the lead in the film, which covers the nuances of an adorable brother-sister relationship, and has been completely shot in India.
“The process of finalising the look was incredibly detailed. I learnt a whole lot during the look tests, both from and about Majidi sir’s process. He’s extremely meticulous and every little change he makes adds an immense amount of character,” Ishaan said in a statement.
In the film, Ishaan is seen sporting some interesting tattoos.
“To get the perfect look for the character, Majidi felt that Ishaan should sport some tattoos on his body. Along with the producers, he met a few tattoo artists before selecting one for the job. He also did several sittings with the artist to select the perfect design. Ishaan too spent time with them trying different patterns,” said a source.
Ishaan will be seen sporting a barbed wire tattoo on his left arm and a scorpion tattoo on his neck. The positioning of the scorpion tattoo was also crucial to the story line of the film.
“Both the tattoos were real fun to do, they’re even more interesting because they’re not made to be in your face at all,” Ishaan said.
The film is produced by Zee Studios and Eyecandy Films.
Beyond The Clouds will have its world premiere at the forthcoming 61st BFI London Film Festival. The film is an official selection in the competition category, which will take place on October 13 and 14.
This year two technicians died on the sets of films – one on Rajinikanth’s Kaala, and the other on Anushka Sharma’s Pari. Both were electrocuted after stepping on a live wire.
Kumar, a lighting expert, has been with the Tamil film industry for more than two decades. He started out as a spot boy, and slowly worked his way up the rung. Now, he fixes lights for a living.
“I make stars look glamorous. Without expert lighting, they will look like us and not like the stars they are,” he says.
And yet, despite the 4 am morning calls and hectic workdays, Kumar and many others of his ilk are not given adequate facilities.
“Burns are a common injury in our field of work. Sometimes, they are minor burns. Sometimes, they are major. This has been the case since I joined twenty years ago,” Kumar says.
And yet, till now, nothing has been done to address the issue.
The Tamil film industry has no dearth of unions. FEFSI (Film Employees Federation Of South India) oversees about 24 of them. It has very little performing artists under its umbrella, and for the most part, represents the needs of workers with the least power and influence.
As such, this representation does extend to some influence over wage control and basic healthcare. Insurance, though, is still an unexplored area.
Stunt-persons for example, bear the brunt of this oversight. In their line of work, broken bones are a common take away. “There are some long-lasting repercussions to this work, too. Sometimes, stunt men and women develop amnesia, alzheimers as a result of their rough and tumble work. There is no consistent methodology or continuous process to assess their medical issues,”stunt master Anal Arasu says.
In case of an accidental death, the process gets murkier. Not many in FEFSI know their rights when it comes to claiming insurance. While it is expected that the producer takes out an insurance policy to cover damages to set and all the cast and crew, it is not in practice. “In the case of smaller films, this is not something that is widely enforced. With bigger films like 2.0, Kabali, these systems are put in place and enforced rigorously.
While the producer and director of Kabali refused to comment on the death as a police investigation is currently underway, the Pari team seems to have reached out to the kin of the deceased worker. According to the Indian Express:
“We are in touch with the concerned union and are awaiting their letter telling us the compensation that needs to be paid to the next of kin of the deceased as per the union laws. We will be happy to comply with the same as soon as we get their letter. We would also like to clarify that there are several rumours doing the rounds about the negligence on part of the deceased which led to the unfortunate incident. However, we would like to set the record straight that he had complied with all necessary safety norms and this was just an extremely unfortunate accident.”
*****
Sets are temporary areas, says RK Selvamani, FEFSI president. “It is not like a residential space where wires are safely sealed off. Here, since everything is constructed in a hurry, there’s lesser safety. But, experienced technicians know where to step and where not to.”
“There’s not a lot we can control. We can only ensure that some safety systems are in place. Enforcing it needs more manpower,” he adds.
The families of the dead get monetary support from FEFSI. “In the case of an on-set death which is ruled as death by negligence, then the producer steps in to provide a lump sum. If there are children involved, educational expenses are borne by the star or the producers,” Selvamani says.
But, this is not set in stone. To avail such benefits for the family of the deceased, extensive lobbying is necessary. The concerned union steps into negotiate on behalf of the family. “It is not done with much finesse either. To put a money value on a human life is pretty crass, but it has to be done,” Kumar says.
The situation is different for the star of the film. Most male and female actors have insurance and safety clauses written into their film contracts. This makes it mandatory for film production houses to ensure that their well being is taken care of. “Even if this were not the case, producers will bend over backwards to make sure the leads are alright. It’s just the way of the business,” Selvamani says.
The crew members, especially the ones on the lower rung, cannot even dream of similar treatment. “Though, we are the ones who take a lot of risk everyday, we are also the ones least cared for,” Kumar informs.
While FEFSI makes it a point to conduct medical camps routinely, this is not really enough. “Master health checkups are all good, but they do not take care of the whole issue. We need better measures in place, and we need people in powerful positions to ensure that it is done,” Kumar says.
With FEFSI currently engaged in a strike, the interests of its members are not likely to be addressed anytime soon. But Kumar, and countless others like him, remain hopeful that FEFSI will do the right thing.
Editor’s Note: RK Shanmugam, veteran script and dialogue writer, passed away on Tuesday. Silverscreen did an interview with him in 2014 where he talked about working in some iconic Tamil films. Excerpts of the interview:
Some films entertain. Some preach. Some pass without leaving a trace. But there are others to which we lose our hearts – movies that remind us of our past, movies that have become a part of our lives. In Flashback, we relive a few such classics by talking to artistes of the old.
*****
June 22, 2014 was the 101st day for MGR’s Aayirathil Oruvan; the movie had been digitally restored and released on March 14. Albert Theatre ran a full-house. The audience whistled and clapped. Chants of ‘deivame’ could be heard over and over again.
Not a soul would have believed that the movie was actually released 49 years ago.
Die-hard fans of MGR basked in the moment. Every dialogue from their idol was met with applause. Some danced to Adho Andha Paravai Pola. Some screamed ‘once more’ after those trademark one-liners.
RK Shanmugam, the writer of those memorable dialogues wanted to be a part of the event; relive memories of working on the iconic film. But his health played spoilt-sport, and his daughter went to the show. With tears rolling down her cheeks, she made mental notes of the celebration.
“Indha kaalathula punch dialogue-nu solraanga. Appo paarunga, padam fulla punch thaan,” she had heard the audience talk amongst themselves.
RK Shanmugam smiled, hearing his daughter recount her experience. He always knew Aayirathil Oruvan was timeless.
MGR had told him long, long ago: “Indha padam saga varam petradhu.”
*****
We meet RK Shanmugam at his modest house in Royappetah. He welcomes us with a measured smile, and leads us to his study – a table laden with pictures of him with MGR and Jayalalithaa. He sinks into a chair behind it.
Every wall in RK Shanmugam’s home has photos of him and MGR together.
RK Shanmugam is now 84.
We thank him for agreeing to meet us.
“I’m relaxing and resting all the time,” he says reassuringly, “And, I can never say no to discuss Aayirathil Oruvan.”
*****
He hands me a printed list of MGR films he wrote the dialogues for. The
ayirathil-oruvan-MGR
list totals 15 movies.
Shanmugam’s career began with Aayirathil Oruvan. He had earlier worked as an assistant director to director-producer-actor BR Panthulu. Shanmugam still fondly calls him ‘muthalali’. “I worked on 15 films as an AD – a lot with Sivaji Ganesan. We made movies like Karnan, Kappalotiya Thamizhan and Veerapandiya Kattabomman. One day, out of the blue, Banthulu got hold of an action script (Aayirathil Oruvan), and we knew only MGR could do justice to the role,” he remembers.
Despite having worked with Sivaji Ganesan on back-to-back films, Shanmugam recalls that Banthulu wanted to make a movie with MGR. His decision, though, shook Sivaji, for the two actors were silently competing with each other then. Sivaji rushed to Banthulu’s office for clarification, but the producer was not ready to face him. He locked himself up in a room, and requested Shanmugam to tell the actor that he’d gone to Bangalore. “Banthulu didn’t want a conflict with Sivaji. When he came to office, Sivaji was in tears. He wanted to know why Banthulu wanted to do the film with MGR. I couldn’t say anything. He left half-heartedly,” explains Shanmugam, “Muthalali was unhappy with Sivaji since he hadn’t given enough dates to dub for his other films.”
*****
Before the cast and crew could be finalised, Banthulu and Shanmugam discussed the story of Aayirathil Oruvan for two months, and “treated” the screenplay for another three months.
On the first day of shoot, Shanmugam remembers eagerly awaiting the arrival of MGR on the sets. The movie hadn’t been named then. “I was sulking because I wasn’t sure if I would write the dialogues for the film. Banthulu then confirmed that MGR was happy to rope me in. He suddenly said, ‘give me a title for the film now!’ I was quite happy that my position was confirmed, and in that mood, I answered ‘Aayirathil Oruvan!’ Everyone was pleased.”
*****
A few days into the shoot, the crew began filming the heroine’s portions – song sequences. “Jayalalithaa was about 14, I think. Everything about her was stylish, elegant, and sometimes, mysterious,” recalls Shanmugam. The actress, though a teenager, was quite unlike other heroines. She came alone. Her mother never accompanied her. “I’m not exaggerating at all. She was very different. Arattai adikradhu ellam irukkadhu. Once, when a shot was ready, I asked her to join the team. She was reading a book. When she closed it, she said, ‘I’m reading Aayirathil Oruvan’s story.’ But she was reading an English novel. I was taken aback. I checked with Banthulu and he told me he took the crux of the story from the book and modified it for Tamil.”
The “English novel” was Captain Blood.
*****
RK Shanmugam
Aayirathil Oruvan was predominantly shot in a sleepy coastal town near Goa. The cast and crew sailed to the sets everyday. “There were a lot of stunt men and they were unhappy that only vegetarian food was served. They wanted me to bring this to MGR’s notice. He laughed and arranged a non-vegetarian feast for the whole team. When he found out that we loved crab, he instructed the cook to make crab and served the food himself. The stunt men were visibly pleased,” says Shanmugam.
*****
After the success of Aayirathil Oruvan, Shanmugam was a regular feature in MGR’s films. He penned dialogues for Rikshakaran, Neerum Neruppum and Nalla Neram. His one-liners played a pivotal role in making MGR a favourite of the masses. “MGR would often say that my dialogues took him close to his fans. But the lines would have sounded empty if MGR hadn’t spoken them.”
*****
MGR, Shanmugam, adds, was also very considerate towards the other members of the crew. When actor Nagesh found out one day that Shanmugam was struggling with a personal problem, he had informed MGR about it. “MGR immediately gave me Rs 10,000. He was upset that I didn’t tell him myself. He also gave me three days off from the shoot and advised me to spend time with my family,” Shanmugam narrates, and asks rhetorically, “do you know what a huge amount that was back in 1965?”
But that’s not all, Shanmugam says. MGR would insist that he make the same effort to write dialogues for other artistes too. “MGR’s favourite dialogue was the one I wrote for KR Vijaya for Nalla Neram. When Vijaya’s father questions her for marrying MGR, an average daily wager-earner, she says, ‘moonu kaasu kuduthu vaangara kungumatha nethila vechikkarom. Velai koduthu vaangara seruppa kaalla thaanpa podarom.’”
*****
While everything about Aayirathil Oruvan is etched in Shanmugam’s memory, sailing on the Arabian Sea with MGR and Jayalalithaa is particularly memorable. It also makes him quite poetic. “At dusk, we would board the boat every evening from Goa. The sky would be painted orange and pink. It was the fishing season and a lot of fish would jump into our boat. MGR would be sitting near the bow. And after a long, tiring day, the sea breeze and conversations with MGR would rejuvenate us. We always looked forward to our boat ride the next day.”
*****
We prod him a little about his favourite dialogues. It’s unfair to make him choose, he says, but gives us a few lines (from Aayirathi Oruvan) all the same:
A quick look at everything making news in the world of cinema today!
Sign On
Vijay Sethupathi will play a female character in Aneethi Kathaigal
Sudhir Mishra has confirmed that a sequel to his Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi is in the works
Neena Gupta and Rishi Kapoor play pivotal roles in Mulk
Rest In Peace
RK Shanmugam, noted writer and lyricist, passed away on September 12th, 2017. According to early reports, he died from a sudden cardiac arrest.
Newsworthy
FEFSI and the Tamil Nadu Film Producer’s Council have arrived at a smooth resolution to their issues. As a result, the ongoing FEFSI strike has been called off. In light of this, several movies will once again begin shoot today.
Spotlight
Ishaan Khatter is all praise for his Beyond The Clouds director Majid Majidi. In an interview with IANS, the actor said:
“The process of finalising the look was incredibly detailed. I learnt a whole lot during the look tests, both from and about Majidi sir’s process. He’s extremely meticulous and every little change he makes adds an immense amount of character,” Ishaan said in a statement.
The film is expected to make its debut at the London Film Festival later this year.
Let them eat cake!
Actors Sridevi Kapoor, Mahima Choudhury, Karthik Muthuraman will all turn a year older today!
Australia’s Melbourne city has decided to name metro stations after places that feature in the Game of Thrones series, authorities said on Tuesday.
The Victorian state government revealed that the stations will be named through a public vote, reports Xinhua news agency.
The series’ author George RR Martin said he was “flattered” with the move.
“Melbourne, as it happens, is adding five new stops to its Metro, and in a fit of jolly Aussie optimism they have asked the public to suggest names for the new stations. And it would seem that names from my books are among the leading contenders,” Martin wrote in a blog post.
Beside “Highgarden, the Eyrie, Dorne, Westeros”, the author admitted that “Winterfell” would be a good fit for a train station name except for the fact that winter “never comes” in Australia.
Entries for the “name the station” competition close on October 22.
Former Hawaii Five-0 star Daniel Dae Kim is in negotiations to step into the role left vacant by actor Ed Skrein after an outcry over whitewashing a Asian-American character in a Hellboy reboot.
He will play Major Ben Daimio, a rugged military member of the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense who, due to a supernatural encounter, can turn into a jaguar when angered or in pain, reports hollywoodreporter.com.
The character is Japanese-American in the Hellboy comics by creator Mike Mignola.
Skrein had nabbed the role in August but, after a social media protest, he made the move to step down later that month.
“It is clear that representing this character in a culturally accurate way holds significance for people, and that to neglect this responsibility would continue a worrying tendency to obscure ethnic minority stories and voice in the Arts. I feel it is important to honour and respect that,” he said in a statement.
Kim is Korean-American, and the actor is no stranger to standing up for his beliefs.
In June, he quit Hawaii Five-0 after a salary dispute with CBS network, as he had been seeking equal pay to the show’s stars Alex O’Loughlin and Scott Caan.
David Harbour is starring in Hellboy, which reboots the franchise centered on the demonic hero from the Mignola comic books. Game of Thrones director Neil Marshall is helming the project.
Twenty-five years ago, in the September of 1992, Malayalam cinema was held by its hand and led beyond the Himalayas by two brothers from Thiruvananthapuram. Yodha, directed by Sangeeth Sivan and shot by cinematographer Santosh Sivan, unfurled in Nepal, a turf the film industry had never explored before (or after). It remains as the only Malayalam film that features Oscar-winning composer AR Rahman’s music.
Decades since its release, Yodha is an intrinsic part of Malayali popular culture. The film’s songs sound fresh even today, and its humour continues to crack people up. The gibberish words that the film contributed — Pokhra, Akosoto and Kuno — are now part of the Malayali vocabulary.
The film, an action-drama, is styled on the lines of an Indiana Jones film. There are temples, Buddhist monasteries, a secret sect that does black magic, and a hero, Ashokan (Mohanlal) who has on his hand a perilous task of sneaking into a heavily guarded fortress in a Himalayan forest, fighting off armed warriors, and rescuing a kidnapped child who is the crown prince of a peaceful Buddhist group. The plot gallops ahead relentlessly, without pausing for a casual break. Unlike the American archaeologist, Ashokan’s interest in this rescue mission is not monetary or professional.
Yodha is essentially an Eastern movie. The protagonist is the ‘chosen one’ to save the boy who is regarded as an incarnation of Buddha. The film doesn’t doubt the existence of God and Devil, or question the essence of Buddhism that looks at itself as a philosophy rather than as an organised religion.
In its simplest form, Yodha is a smart entertainer. It is brilliantly funny and adventurous. The action sequences are great, and the romantic track that involves Ashokan and his estranged cousin, Aswathi (Madhoo), whom he meets in Nepal, is brief, yet palpable. His rivalry with Appu Kuttan (Jagathi Sreekumar), the other cousin who travels from Kerala to Nepal with the sole intention of screwing him over, is one of the most hilarious narrative tracks in Malayalam cinema. And better, none of these supporting characters stick out of the main story. They are part of the larger picture that eventually has Ashokan risking his life to save the kidnapped Lama.
And the film doesn’t portray the rescue mission as a mere clinical one. Ashokan is emotionally invested in it, for the child is his only friend in the mountain country. Immediately after landing in Kathmandu, Ashokan loses his luggage, and his wallet that carries the address slip of his uncle, gets stolen. He winds up on the street, penniless and hungry. He meets the Lama who is running away from bad men, and they bond over their shared homeless status. For an average movie-goer in Kerala, this adorable friendship between a Malayali man and a little boy who doesn’t speak his language, is the highlight of Yodha. Ashokan introduces the Lama to unniyappam, a ball-shaped sweet from Kerala, and gives the latter a nickname ‘unnikkuttan’, for his shaven head resembles the sweet. The child calls him Akosoto, a mispronounced version of Ashok-ettan. The duo go street-shopping, and Lama happily swaps his Buddhist robe for a t-shirt, a pair of shorts and a baseball cap. The child even shows up in Ashokan’s dream where he is dancing with Aswathi to a cheerful AR Rahman track.
The song sequences are impressively shot. The song, Kunu Kune, has great choreography, and picturesque visuals. Santhosh Sivan’s camerawork has the flamboyance of a picture postcard. He lights up the frame like a maverick. The lovely little curls of Madhoo that the lyrics of Kunu Kune sing about, are strikingly noticeable. The song, Padakali, that comes in the first half of the film, is a genius collaboration of Rahman, lyricist Bichu Thirumala, Santhosh Sivan, and the actors — Mohanlal and Jagathi Sreekumar. It has a fiery war-cry, and a hilarious rustic number simultaneously.
Although Yodha had its core generously lifted from Eddie Murphy’s Hollywood potboiler Golden Child, the film lacks the silliness that the latter proudly wore on its sleeves. In Golden Child, there are instances where villains burst into flames, and turned into anime creatures with horns and tail. In Yodha, the ambience is more mystic, and the fantasy is invisible. If in Golden Child it’s a parrot that leads the hero to the kidnapped child, in Yodha, he is first summoned through a dream, and then, to quote Paulo Coelho, the universe conspires to take him to Nepal.
Yodha’s use of melodrama is minimal — something unusual for the time it was made. As the villain is leaving the premises of the monastery with the kidnapped child, an old warrior shows up at the entrance with his chief disciple. The young man puts up a good fight against the villain, in order to save the child, but gets brutally killed. You see the old man weeping. His disciple is gone, and he couldn’t save his God. Santhosh Sivan captures the image of the weeping old man in a long shot, and the film doesn’t wait to watch his grief. Similarly, Ashokan loses his eyesight and his lover in the pursuit of the child. Curious enough, Yodha doesn’t use heartbreak as a song opportunity. It smoothly moves on to one of the film’s most interesting parts — a blind Ashokan getting trained in martial arts under the old warrior.
Rahman’s music for Yodha is, by far, one of his best, yet criminally underrated. It came out the same year as Mani Ratnam’s Roja that launched Rahman to the centrestage of Indian film playback music. Yodha’s theme music, an excellent instrumentation that blends the sound of flute and Buddhist hymn bells, builds a sense of foreboding throughout the film. The flute music that the Lama plays while he is held captive in the evil man’s fort, and the music that sets the background to the black-magic rituals (with Malgudi Shubha’s vocals) can linger in your head for a long time.
Swarnalatha, the singer whose discography includes all-time favourites like “Povoma Oorgolam” from Chinnathambi, “Ennulle, Ennulle”, from Valli, “Madrasa Suthi Paakaporein” from May Madham, died on this day in 2010, following a cardiac arrest. Porale Ponnuthaayi is an easy to choice to remember Swarnalatha on her death anniversary. The song won her a National Award, a Tamil Nadu Award, as well as a Kalaimamani award in the year the song released.
Christian Bale looked barely recognisable as he attended the Toronto International Film Festival. The actor revealed that he has been eating a lot of pies for portraying former US Vice President Dick Cheney in his upcoming biopic.
In order to develop the proper body type and gain weight, Bale told variety.com: “I’ve just been eating a lot of pies.”
Bale has gone through shocking body transformations during his career, including losing 65 pounds and eating only an apple and a can of tuna a day for The Machinist, and later bulking up to play the superhero Batman in filmmaker Christopher Nolan’s trilogy.
The upcoming film is currently untitled and is yet to go on the floors.
Adam McKay is set to direct and the film will also star Steve Carell as Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, and Amy Adams is set to play Lynne Cheney.
Singer Mel B has been accused of intimidating a witness who was prepared to testify against her in her bitter divorce battle with estranged husband Stephen Belafonte. Police is now investigating the matter, reports tmz.com.
Rapper Siya filed a police report on Monday, claiming that Mel B sent her texts on September 9 threatening her if Siya dared testify against her, according to law enforcement sources.
According to the website, Siya showed police the text messages and a felony witness intimidation case was opened.
Siya was prepared to contradict Mel B and testify Belafonte never physically abused his wife. Siya claims she was a close friend of both Mel B and Belafonte.
According to a report in tmz.com, in addition to disputing Mel B’s claims of abuse, Siya is prepared to testify Mel B frequently used illegal drugs.
When the FEFSI held a strike last month over the issue of wages for its technicians, the TFPC, in a media interaction, declared that wages would be fixed based on a producer’s budget. Following this, FEFSI general secretary Angamuthu Shanmugham, a few industry insiders, distributors and theatre owners demanded that the pay of the male leads (or heroes) be revised accordingly. Now, as the strike enters the 12th day, we speak to a few people in the know who consider it only fair that the heroes – generally with a fixed salary that producers try to accommodate – bear the brunt of the decision as well.
Announce the loss, too
Distributor Tirupur Subramaniam, in a conversation with Silverscreen, declares that the lofty sum that is offered to the male leads is partly due to the industrial trend of not announcing the losses incurred by the producer. “When a film is made on a Rs 50 crore budget, even if it is a blockbuster hit, the return would still be only Rs 40 crore, with a loss of Rs 10 crore to the producer. But the announcement would be made in such a way that it would seem like the movie had earned a profit of Rs 40 crore. Only when producers openly talk about their loss just like how they talk about profit, the heroes would understand the reality. Only then they would know that they cannot double the salary in their next film as his previous producer had incurred a loss. This would also help a new producer understand the market value of an actor,” says Subramanian.
Responding to these demands, Vishal had avowed to revise the salary of male leads by establishing a ‘transparent ticketing system’, and the concept of open box-office records. Panneerselvam of Rohini Multiplex Chennai, analyses the practicality of such initiatives. “Films with the same hero will have different box-office collections as there is no guaranteed revenue for a hero here. Also, since there are no records, remuneration for the hero would have to be revised multiple times. We can prepare a record only a month after the film’s release, and by then, the actors would have moved on to other projects. Theatre associations have been suggesting for a long time now that the producer can actually allot a few areas (of revenue) to heroes apart from the initial payment. Then, they can collect the profit as remuneration post release – that way, the loss incurred (if any) is not borne just by the producer.”
Heroes should help out producers: Tirupur Subramanian
Producers and actors silently part ways when a movie flops, says Subramanian. “A director and an actor may work together for the fourth or fifth time, but producers and actors won’t work together after a film fails. This was not the case during the days of MGR and Sivaji, though. MGR had worked with Devar Films in over 29 movies. If one movie flopped, he would reduce his salary for the next and help the producer. None of the new age actors extend this gesture.”
Revenue sharing should be introduced: Producer Satish
Producer Satish says that revenue-sharing is not something that is practised in Kollywood. “Heroes can receive an initial payment from the producer and share the revenue if the film makes profit. So that heroes, whose remuneration is a large part of a film’s budget, will get to share the responsibility of a film’s outcome. Tollywood and Bollywood work that way.”
Draw up a salary chart for heroes: Distributor Saravanan
Distributor Saravanan wants the TFPC to draw up a payment chart for heroes as well. “TFPC has drawn up a chart and fixed payments for daily wage workers in the industry. Likewise, they have to revise the heroes’ salary too. They have to decide based on the actor’s recent performances, original box office collection and consistent hits. Only the TFPC can solve the issue. That too, with Vishal being a member of both Nadigar Sangam and Producers’ Council, he can handle this very well.”
Wages to be fixed by guidelines
While the producer’s council fixes the salaries of actors in Mollywood, and the concept of revenue sharing is followed in Tollywood and Bollywood, there are no proper guidelines in the Tamil industry, says an insider on condition of anonymity. “There are no guidelines here to fix a hero’s salary. In Hollywood, there is the studio system by which an actor’s performance, market value, hit and flop ratio and many other things are analysed before fixing his wage. We don’t have any guidelines or a qualified production executive to handle this. Also, in Hollywood, only after 10 continuous hits, a hero’s salary will be reasonably increased. But here, we have a culture of increasing an actor’s salary for each and every hit film,” he rues, adding, “Moreover, there is a constant influx of new producers. So, to compete with other producers, they increase the salary of a hero to get him on board. Also, they come to the business with no background research. So if a small time producer want to cast a leading hero, he cannot make a film under Rs 5 crores as the hero’s salary would be above the entire budget allocated for the movie.”
Busting the myth
Subramaniam adds, “It is a myth that films run because of a hero. Many popular production houses, who had produced films with leading heroes, have vanished now. Current producers would be millionaires if declarations of ‘Himalaya vetri’ and ‘vasool mannan’ are true. Producers should realise that they are actually paying more than the market value. The industry would be healthy if the pay of the male leads are revised.” Saravanan agrees, “The reality is such that even when the morning show of leading hero’s film is full, the subsequent ones are near empty because of bad word-of-mouth publicity. Only when producers, actors, and the Council understand this reality, will they be able to solve the issue.”
All India Bakchod (AIB), a comedy troupe, has lately made it their business to call out everything sexist, ridiculous, and outrageous in their sketches, and they have done it again, this time collaborating with Kangana Ranaut.
The song titled ‘The Bollywood Diva Song‘ has the beats of ‘Chitiyaan Kalaiya Ve‘ but with lyrics calling out each and every trope that Bollywood follows when it comes to branding an outspoken actress a “diva”, punctuated with punchlines — ‘Cos I have vagina re’.
The video stars comedian and social media celebrity Varun Thakur playing the typical hero who is put on a pedestal, given the best lines and scenes, and also someone who is allowed to tweak the script to suit his fancy. He enters the scene with his entourage and gets an aarti done by the director à la Jaya Bachchan in Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham.
The actress, who has been in the scene all along, is conveniently ignored and is asked to get her make-up, outfit, and smile ready because, that’s all she’s here to do. Especially considering her character is a scientist based in Poland, but like most Bollywood heroines, her boyfriend is all that matters.
Soon enough, Priya the actress leaves and enters Kangana who will not submit to patriarchy and misogyny. The dancer number is replaced with lyrics of the actress speaking her mind.
“I’m done dancing for all of you. Even baboons have broader minds than you all. Listen up and increase the depth/length of my role. Let me break the ceilings glass,” she sings, serenading the hero like most music videos.
And when reporters come knocking, asking her where she gets the “balls” to be so outspoken “like a man”, she mournfully looks at the camera and asks — “When did bravery start to be associated with manliness?”
Kangana has been the cynosure of all eyes ever since she called out Karan Johar the “flag-bearer of nepotism” and was also accused of stealing credits from a National Award writer like Apurva Asrani, in addition to being viewed as the villain in her alleged affair with Hrithik Roshan, and followed by other controversies.
This video, wherein she promotes her film Simran right at the end, is a fitting reply to all those who either called her “diva”, a “b*tch”, or even associating her boldness equal to a man’s.
Velipaadinte Pusthakam, starring Mohanlal, isn’t the best Malayalam film out there. In fact, subjected to mixed reviews, most cinema-goers attest that this film isn’t Lalettan or director Lal Jose’s best ever. Could be their worst, too.
But the film’s song ‘Jimmiki Kammal‘ is a different story altogether. Joining the leagues of several other films who were actually saved by their songs, Velipaadinte Pusthakam is also officially on the map thanks to America’s Late Night Show host Jimmy Kimmel tweeting about it.
Internet broke loose, especially considering how the song’s name is hilariously similar to Kimmel’s name. One can even imagine replacing the lyrics to :
Entammede Jimmy Kimmel
Entappan kattondu poye
Entappante brandy kuppi
Entamma kudichu theerthe
While the song, composed by Shaan Rahman and sung by Vineeth Sreenivasan, Renjith Unni, is average enough, we mostly owe a young Accounts teacher from the Indian School of Commerce (Kochi) credit for making it go viral. Sheril G Kadavan thought doing a flash mob-like representation of the song would be a perfect exercise to strengthen the bond between students and teachers at the institute. However, she’s now the face of innumerable memes and dubbed “Tamil Nadu boys’ heart stealer” on social media.
Speaking to Edex, she said, “I participated in the dance just to get a kick out of it, it was the day after Onam and it was all in good fun. I never even dreamed that it would get the kind of attention that it has. It’s completely out of my hands now. I have been in a trance for the last couple of days and everything, including this, seems surreal to me.”
The memes are mostly dedicated to Sheril and her grace, with Tamil boys declaring their love for her and her dance. Sample these:
via Facebook
via Facebook
Oh, and much like her fellow Malayali Oviya, she also has a ‘Sheril Army’.
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WhatsApp Image 2017-09-11 at 4.44.37 PM
The memes are creepy enough, but the worst part is, she’s even the victim of several fake profiles. There are fake pages, accounts, and Twitter handles, and Sheril isn’t pleased. Her story is fairly similar to Mrinalini Ravi, a regular girl who was known for her Dubsmash videos. What the two have in common? Film offers from known and unknown filmmakers.
And apart from Sheril being the face of the song, the lyrics aren’t exactly poetry either. A loose translation of the first stanza would be:
My mother’s shiny earrings Were stolen by my father So instead my mother Finished his bottle of brandy
The basic idea of the song is about highlighting the saying, “An eye for an eye” or “Tit for tat”. The video, too, has college students frolicking about, with two boys from rival gangs sparring with each other. Only verbally and through looks though.
Much like other internet challenges, there’s also a #JimikkiKammalChallenge and users are miffed how they’re unable to stop listening to the song.
I don’t know why I am youtubing Jimmikki Kammal everyday. It is making no sense. I must stop doing this. What kind of an OCD is this :O
Actress Jyothika, who will be seen playing a documentary filmmaker in forthcoming Tamil drama Magalir Mattum, says it’s a challenge to make female-centric films with the hope of earning profits in a male-dominated industry.
Having made a smashing comeback to acting with the 2015 Tamil drama 36 Vayadhinile, Jyothika is eagerly looking forward to the release of MagalirMattum.
“I am as eager as my fans to know how it would be received. As this is a male-dominated industry, it is quite a challenge for a female-centric film to be made — and to make a profit,” Jyothika told IANS.
“The situation is such that even a bad movie, which has a male lead, runs to packed houses for three to four days. On the other hand, female-centric films, despite having good content, are taken off the theatres after the opening weekend,” she said.
However, she is undeterred and confident about her film. Directed by Bramma, the film also stars Urvashi, Saranya Ponvannan and Bhanupriya.
“I was impressed when I read Bramma’s story. It talks about how a daughter-in-law takes her mother-in-law and her friends on a road trip. This is a story that has been untouched. What surprised me more was that a story like this came from a man,” she said.
While Jyothika struck a fine balance between content-driven films and commercial cinema in the early stages of her career, after her comeback she has consciously stuck to women-centric scripts such as 36 Vayadhinile and Magalir Mattum.
“I got a lot of offers, but I wanted to do movies like this because, for me, money isn’t a criterion any more. I am a mother and a wife and I have a family to manage. But, yes, I want to do films like these because it’s important to show powerful and independent female characters. Our production 2D Entertainment has consciously made it a point to support such scripts,” she said.
She admits her husband and actor Suriya has been very supportive in her return to acting.
Asked if she discusses scripts with Suriya before signing, she said, “Suriya gives me the freedom to explore and has always stood by me. We have a good understanding of each other as we made our careers together.”
Magalir Mattum, slated for release on Friday, is bankrolled by Suriya.
Jyothika will be next seen in Bala’s Tamil thriller Naachiyar. She also has Mani Ratnam’s as-yet-untitled multilingual project in her kitty.
Big Little Lies, at first glance, seems to offer an almost voyeuristic view into the lives of the one-percenters. These are the kind of people who build gleaming glass houses on cliffs, and use birthday parties as an excuse to show off their unlimited wealth.
When the show begins, Madeline, Renata and Celeste seem like entitled, polished WASPs. Little in their behaviour suggests that they’d grow into strong, powerful women that they had become by the end of the series.
Indeed, when Jane (the poorest among the lot) gets to meet Madeline, the audience expects a snooty brush off from the latter. Surprisingly enough, Madeline hits it off with Jane, and eventually becomes her fiercest protector.
Based on Liane Moriarty’s best selling novel, the series offers vignettes of life in Otter Bay, Monterey. Predominantly an area populated by the rich, the setting (violent waves, cloudy weather) is a metaphor for the characters’ tumultuous lives.
David Kelley, the showrunner, builds up the characters bit by bit over the first few episodes, only to knock them down to pieces at the end. There’s great emotional upheaval, complex issues at play, and soon, this story of the rich becomes a rooted, deeply insightful look at people and the masks they wear.
The soundtrack includes surprising eclectic choices from artists like Villagers, Michael Kiwanuka and Charles Bradley. The finale is anchored by some amazing Elvis Presley tracks, making the atmosphere eerily intimate, isolated even.
The most interesting thing about Big Little Lies is the way it sets up its characters to be judged. Madeline finds the pushy Renata ‘wanting’ in many aspects. Renata judges Jane, while the Otter Bay public pitch in now and then with catty comments about the four women.
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Reese Witherspoon’s Madeline, in particular, triggers a lot of back-biting. Her decision to mimic Audrey Hepburn’s Holly Golightly fromBreakfast at Tiffany is considered risque and inappropriate by the rest.
Though the series gives off a light vibe, it is anchored by the physical, emotional abuse Celeste suffers at the hands of her husband. Nicole Kidman is brilliant as a woman caught under the spell of a dynamic and extremely manipulative man. His abusive tendencies pass on to his son and only then, does Celeste chooses to run away.
The series is centered around the lives and loves of Celeste, Jane and Madeline. But, towards the end, it does grow a bit to fit Bonnie and Renata. At first, these two also take on stereotypical traits. Bonnie is the young, hot second wife while Renata is the pushy control freak. But, Kelley gives these characters enough layers that by the finale, they seem more flesh and blood.
With award-worthy performances from Reese, Nicole, and actor Robin Weigert (who plays counselor Dr Reisman), Big Little Lies is the surprise series of the year. At a time when much of television is dominated by dragons, surgeons and crisis consultants, it is indeed a gamble to focus on mothers and the kind of ‘serious mothering’ they do these days. For Kelley and co though, it is a gamble that seems to have paid off.
Director Patty Jenkins has closed a deal to direct the sequel to the hit Wonder Woman.
Actress Gal Gadot has already signed on to return as the Wonder Woman. The film is slated for release on December 13, 2019, reports variety.com.
It was earlier reported that Jenkins was working on a script for the sequel with Geoff Johns, who oversees the DC film universe along with Jon Berg for Warner Bros.
“The goal is to make another great ‘Wonder Woman‘ film,” Johns said at the time.
While an exact number could not be unveiled, sources say the number is in the $8 million dollar range to write, direct and produce making her the highest paid female director of all time. A substantial backend of box office grosses is also included in the contract.
Wonder Woman has been a megahit for the studio, grossing $409 million at the domestic box office and $813 million worldwide.
Besides the Wonder Woman sequel, Jenkins is also developing a TV series with her Wonder Woman star Chris Pine, inspired by the autobiography of Fauna Hodel.
Superstar Mahesh Babu’s forthcoming Telugu-Tamil bilingual spy thriller Spyder is slated to release in over 800 screens in the US, making it the biggest release in the actor’s career.
According to a statement released by Atmus Entertainment, the US distributor of the film, 800 screens have been locked so far for the release of Spyder.
This would the second biggest Telugu release after Baahubali 2, which was released in over 1,000 screens in the US.
Mahesh plays an Intelligence Bureau officer in Spyder, directed by A.R Murugadoss.
The project marks the first time collaboration of Murugadoss and Mahesh.
Reported to be made on a lavish budget of approximately Rs. 120 crore, the film is based on bio-terrorism and it features actor-filmmaker SJ Suryah as the antagonist.
Rakul Preet Singh plays the leading lady.
Spyder is slated to hit the screens on September 27 worldwide. US premieres are scheduled for September 26.
Malayalam actor Dileep’s arrest, in connection with the abduction and sexual assault of a popular actress, has not just affected him but others who have either taken his side or chose to speak up for him. Lawyer and former MP Sebastian Paul wrote for southlive.inon why Dileep needs sympathy.
The former MP wrote on how the media’s works made it difficult to pick sides and how Dileep is getting crucified like Jesus Christ. “We should never forget the people who are behind bars. I am a person who believes in a prisoner and worships him. That, the Romans did not give justice to him is an accusation made by time, not me,” he wrote.
This open letter roused several artistes, wherein they slammed Paul for picking the actor’s side especially considering there are heavy evidences against him.
At the same time, actor Anoop Chandran has opened a can of worms. Speaking to The Times of India, he said that there were many times when Dileep tried side-lining him from the industry. “Dileep had threatened to eliminate me from the industry forever for speaking against mimicry. Though the incident did not bother me initially, I eventually realised when I started losing many opportunities,” he said.
Meanwhile, an association of women artistes of the Malayalam film industry – Women in Cinema Collective – staged a protest at the venue where the Kerala film awards will be held, reported The New Indian Express. The report added that they have collected signatures from the public to get support for the actress who was abducted. It will be sent to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan also.
Amitabh Bachchan remembered Rituparno Ghosh, one of India’s most versatile filmmakers in the post-Satyajit Ray generation, and the megastar says “he left too soon”.
Amitabh, 74, worked with Ghosh in The Last Lear, which completed 10 years of its release on Tuesday.
The Piku actor on Monday night took to Twitter to remember the filmmaker, who started a new wave in Bengali cinema exploring human relationships with bold depiction of sexuality against social themes.
“10 years of ‘The Last Lear’. My first film in English made by the iconic Rituparno Ghosh. He left us too soon,” Amitabh tweeted.
T 2544 – 10 years of ‘The Last Lear’ .. my first film in English made by the iconic Ritu Porno Ghosh .. he left us too soon ..? pic.twitter.com/jTXUU5z6nX
In 2013, Ghosh died of a cardiac arrest at his residence in Kolkata. He was the maker of acclaimed and award-winning Bengali films like Bariwali, Asukh, Utsab, Shubho Mahurat, Chokher Bali, Dosar, Shob Charitro Kalponik and Abohoman.
Ghosh’s last released film was Chitrangada (2012), while a few days before his death, he finished shooting a crime thriller Satyanveshi.
He also directed two Hindi movies – Raincoat in 2004 — that got a National Award and Sunglass in 2012.
Model turned actress Diana Penty, who is playing strong character in the upcoming film Lucknow Central, says when it comes to choosing a film, she is least bothered about the screen time or the length of the character but the impact of it.
Diana, who started her career with a multi-starrer Cocktail where she shared screen space with Deepika Padukone and Saif Ali Khan, also holds that the belief that ‘models can’t be a good actresses’ is a cliche.
Asked about if she gets bothered about the length of character she plays in the film, Diana told IANS: No, if the role is powerful, screen timing doesn’t bother me… that becomes secondary then. I always think about the impact of the character in the film, after liking the story. For instance, in Lucknow Central, I am playing a strong headed woman in the men’s world.”
Giving little more insight into her character, she said: “My character Gayetri Kashyp works for an NGO who helps prisoners to reintegrate into society and coming back to normal life once they come out of jail. The character is interesting because she is the woman working inside the prison; which is a male dominated work space. So she is confident, strong headed and stubborn at times.”
After having a successful modelling career and debuting in Bollywood in 2012, the actress appeared on her second film in 2016 after four years.
While she only believes in be a part of films that have good stories, asked about what made her so secure that she would live on in public memory and did not fear losing visibility, Diana said: “Whether a Cocktail, Happy Bhaag Jayegi, Lucknow Central or Parmanu: The Story Of Pokhran, these are the stories come once in a lifetime. Why should I miss out on them? I can wait because I believe in quality work.”
Born and brought up in Mumbai, Diana was a ‘shy child’ and though she had no plan to become an actress, she is quite enjoying the world of cinema and the parks coming with it.
But, does she constantly struggle with the validation of an actress, being a model?
“I think this thought of models can’t act is such a cliche! Many of our top heroines like Priyanka Chopra, Anushka Sharma were models before entering Bollywood. And they are wonderful actresses. I really failed to understand why people living with the misconception of we cannot act,” Diana retorted.
Directed by Ranjit Tiwari, Lucknow Central also features Farhan Akhtar, Gippy Grewal, Rajesh Sharma, Inaamulhaq, Ravi Kissen, Deepak Dobriyal among others. The film releases on September 15.
